1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to boats and more particular, to folding boats.
There are several types of folding boats on the market: rigid structure type, inflatable type and combination of both types mentioned above.
Inflatable boats depend upon ability to maintain air pressure and are extremely vulnerable to puncture.
Rigid structure boats offer significant advantages in terms of comfort, reliability and stability, however, existing rigid structure folding boats are too heavy to handle in folding and unfolding process and are not sufficiently compact and versatile in their folded configuration. They do not offer sufficient flotation redundancy or construction integrity. They often require a trailer for their transportation or, at the best, a track bed or luggage rack on a vehicle. It is understood that there is a real demand for a compactly folding boat combining advantages of a rigid structure, flotation redundancy, simplicity and lightness in folding and unfolding process, compactness and versatility in folded configuration. There is need for a folding boat requiring small storage area with ability to be transported in a station wagon, in a minivan or in a sport-utility vehicle.
2. Prior Art
The folding boat offered by Strausser in U.S. Pat. No. 3,056,147 comprises a foldable lengthwise hull with two large seams which are prone to leaking. In addition to that, the boat lacks any redundant flotation mean full hull length in the folded configuration creates difficulties of storage and transportation.
The portable, foldable and collapsible water cycle disclosed by Liard in U.S. Pat. No. 3,257,987 can be folded along the longitudinal axis of the hull creating long package which would be difficult to transport or store.
The pontoon boat having a collapsible form presented by Voelkel in U.S. Pat. No. 4,829,926 comprises two full length pontoons with collapsible structure on a top of them. Full length pontoons are bulky and take too much space, even in the folded configuration.
The folding fishing boat apparatus disclosed by Lesly in U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,324 comprises two full length pontoons which are not allowing compactly folded configuration.
The portable pontoon boat presented by Evans in U.S. Pat. No. 5,237,954 comprises four pontoons and removable structure above them.
Such arrangement presents some improvements, however, bolted half shells construction of the pontoons are prone to leaking and require complex assembly and disassembly process.
The modular pontoon deck disclosed by Stevens in U.S. Pat. No. 5,803,007 comprises plurality of modular floats connected to a modular achieve compact folding, however, it is too complicated and plurality of the modular floats still would occupy too much space in folded configuration, so it would be difficult to transport a such boat in a station wagon, minivan or sport-utility vehicle.
The collapsible trailerless pontoon boat offered by Little in U.S. Pat. No. 6,067,925 comprises four pontoons and foldable platform.
This idea failed to provide compact folded configuration due to the bulky pontoons.
In addition to that, the system is too complicated and expensive to manufacture.
The collapsible boat transport system offered by Brignolio in U.S. Pat. No. 6,647,913 is three full length pontoon configuration with folding ability to reduce distance between pontoons. This is bulky boat suggested for trailer transportation with very modest reduction of size in folded configuration.
The folding boat disclosed by Zoss et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 6,766,758 comprises four pontoons and pivotally folded deck panels.
Such folding arrangement does not produce compact folding configuration suitable for transportation in medium size vehicles. In addition to that, this boat is too bulky to handle it by a one person.